Recording mechanism.



B. P. SILLIMAN.

RECORDING MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, 1913.

1,080,306, Patented Dec.2, 1913.

1741445@ (o. v @@@VMM'N ayuffiowzfeyvf- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. SILLIMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RECORDING MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SILLI- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Recording Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The subject of the present invention is a recording mechanism adapted to register the movements of an oscillatory shaft.

The mechanism is designed particularly to provide a means for keeping a complete record of the operations of a shaft on a signal device to be used at railroad crossings,

. although the present mechanism is of course not necessarily limited to this use. At the present time the use of waving arms or semaphores at railway crossings for the purpose of announcing to those in sight the approach of a train is increasing very greatly, the mechanism being of course operated by suitable electric connections controlled by the train or car. It is desirable to provide some means for recording the time and the period of the operation of the signal device as a check upon the efficiency of the signal systems and also to preserve evidence of the operation of the signals which might be of considerable value in case of damage suits. It is for this purpose that the present mechanism has been particularly designed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends said invention, then, relates to the means hereinafter full'y described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing: Figure l is a side elevation showing the guiding plate and the record sheet or chart together with the connections from the oscillatory shaft; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the sheet and the plate; and Fig. 3 is a view of the record chart.

Referring t0 Fig. 1, it will be seen that Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1913.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

serial No. 758,523.

the device consists of a rotatably mounted guide plate l provided with an open spiral slot 2 in which there is loosely mounted a marker 3, such marker being held in a rod 4 which is slidably mounted in a longitudinally disposed recess 5 in an oscillatory holding member G, the latter member being pivotally connected to a suitable support 7, which will preferably be a case for inclosing the various parts of the mechanism. The oscillatory member 6 is pivotally attached to a link 8 which is similarly attached at its other end to a short link 9 attached to the oscillatory shaft l0.

Behind the guide plate 1 there is mounted a chart or record sheet 11 which is attached by any suitable means to a plate l2, the plate l2 being rotatably mounted about the same axis as the guide plate and being connected by a short shaft 13 with a gear 14 which is `engaged and operated b y a similar gear 15 attached to the extending shaft 16 of a clock 17. As the guide plate is rotated it will move the marker 3 toward the center of the plate by reason of the spiral form of the slot, the rod 4, to which is attached the marker, being drawn out from the holding member 6 during this operation. The record sheet is mounted in position to be contacted by the marker, and during the rotation of the guide plate a spiral line will be drawn upon the face of the chart. lVhen the rocker shaft 10 is oscillated the holding member 6 is given a similar oscillatory motion through the link S, thus moving the marker 3 in short arcs, having as a center a point about which the holding member G swings.

The arrangement of the chart is shown in Fig. 3 and it will be seen that the sheet is divided up into radial sections each section representing a period of time, such as a number of hours, and each convolution of the spiral representing a single day. In this way each chart can be formed to record the vibrations of the oscillatory shaft during a period of one week or more, although by increasing the size of the chart it will be possible to make a single chart for any convenient period. The record line is shown upon the chart in Fig. 8 and oscillation of the rocker shaft causes the marker to change from an even unbroken line to a short Zigzag line such as is indicated at 18 upon the record sheet. It is thus possible not only to determine accurately the time at which the rocker shaft operated, but also the period during which it operated, as this can be found from the radial lines upon the chart, the chart and the guide plate being both driven by the clock 17.

The disposition of the holding member will be seen to be almost that of a tangent to the circumference of the chart thus giving the marker the desired amount of movement when the rocker shaft is oscillated. The chart will be driven through the gears 14 and 15, the suitable gear reduction being secured either between these gears or internally in the clock as may be most convenient. The chart may be provided with additional radial lines to make it possible to more accurately determine the time and period of oscillation of the shaft if desired.

rlhe shaft 13 may be conveniently removed from engagement with the guide plate 1 to permit of the attachment of a chart to the plate 12, suitable means such as keys (not shown) being provided for attaching the shaft 18 to the plate 1 in the proper relative position. The shaft 13 is shown in such removed position in F ig. 2.

Other' modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinct-ly claim as my invention 1. The combination of a guide plate provided with an open slot extending therethrough; a marker loosely received in such slot, said marker extending through said guide plate; a chart movably mounted in position to be contacted by said marker; and means adapted to move said chart in a direction substantially parallel to the longest dimension of such slot, whereby a continuous record is secured thereon, showing the movement of said marker.

2. The combination of a guide plate provided with a spiral slot therein, said plate rotatably mounted about an axis at substantially the center of said spiral slot; a marker loosely mounted in such slot; a chart rotatably mounted about the same axis as said plate and in position to be contacted by said marker; and means adapted to rotate said plate and said chartfwhereby a continuous record is secured thereon, showing the movement of said marker.

3. The combination of a guide plate provided with a spiral slot therein, said platc rotatably mounted about an axis at substantially the center of said spiral slot; an oscillatorily mounted holding member; a marker slidably held in said member and loosely mounted in such slot; and means adapted to rotate said plate and said chart, whereby a continuous record is secured thereon, showing the movement of said marker.

4;. The combination of a guide plate provided with a spiral slot therein, said plate rotatably mounted about an axis at substantially the center of said spiral slot; an oscillatorily mounted holding member; a marker slidably held in said member and loosely mounted in such slot; and trimming means adapted to rotate said plate and said chart, whereby a continuous record is secured thereon, showing the oscillations of said holding member.

5. The combination of a guide plate provided with a spiral slot therein, said plate rotatably mounted about an axis at substantially the center of said spiral slot; a rocker shaft; an oscillatorily mounted holding member; link mechanism suitably connecting said member and said shaft, whereby the oscillation of said shaft will be transmitted to said holding member; a marker slidably held in said member and loosely mounted in such slot; a chart rotatably mounted about the same axis as said plate and in position to be contacted by said marker; and trimming means adapted to rotate said plate and said chart, whereby a continuous Arecord is secured thereon, showing the oscillations of said rocker shaft.

Signed by me, this 1st day of April, 1913.

BENJAMIN F. SILLMAN.

Attested bylA-lonxon B. Far, ANNA L. GiLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

